Potato and Leek Soup is one of my favourite soups, ever.   It’s simple to make, serve with some cheesy toasts and fresh parsley.  Last night I also made goat cheese, onion, mushroom and sun dried tomato tartelettes, I had left over mushroom and onions which I arranged on top of the soup, they were sauteed with lemon and thyme so gave the soup a nice acidic dimension.

Potato and Leek Soup
Serves 4

2-3 Large Leeks
6-7 Small Red Skinned Potatoes
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp Dried Herbs: Oregano, thyme, basil, sage, rosemary
1 Cup Milk
3 Cups of Veg Broth
2 tbsp White Wine
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley

Clean leeks and chop  into 1 cm rounds.  In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter, once butter melted, add leeks over medium heat.  Cook until soft, but not browned.  Add Garlic, herbs and white wine.  Once wine has evapourated, add potatoes, broth, milk, and chopped up parsley.  Simmer over low, don’t bring to a boil.  Cook covered about 20 minutes until potatoes are soft.  Season to taste and blend.

Some post performance revelatory notes:   The leek, roasted garlic, cream and white wine combo makes for a sweet filling, which isn’t for everyone.  Instead of cream, I would prefer to use goat cheese to give the filling a bit of tang.  If you are a carni, try adding some smokey bacon. Be sure to kick it up a notch with the b squash, a sweet and spicy combo is always good.

Boozy Leek and Butternut Squash Pie
Serves 3-4

1 Butternut squash, deseeded, deskinned and diced.
8-10 Chestnut mushrooms, sliced.
3 Leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 Red onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves of roasted garlic
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup of white wine
A handful of spinach
1 tbsp Red chili flakes
2 tbsp olive oil
herbs: 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp sage, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp basil
1 sheet of Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry

Preheat oven to 400F.  Cut enough pastry from the sheet to cover the casserole dish.  Place on a baking sheet and cook 12-15 minutes until golden and puffy. Set aside. Whisk together flour and cream, set aside.

Mix diced butternut squash with olive oil and red chili pepper flakes.  Roast in oven for about 40 minutes or until browned.

Saute red onions and olive oil.  Add leeks and herbs.  Cook for approximately ten minutes until leeks are tender.  Add mushrooms, cook on high for a minute or two.  Add white wine.  When evaporated, Add in roasted garlic and cream mixture.  Add broth and allow to simmer until desired consistency.  At the last minute, throw in spinach and cooked butternut squash. Pour into a casserole dish, place pastry on top and cook in oven for 4 or 5 minutes until filling is bubbly.

Editor’s Note: The cream and flour ratio as well as the pastry method originated from this recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine (great food magazine, by the way).